1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for setting information about newly added devices.
2) Description of the Related Art
Archive devices that archive vast number of files (including data) scattered in a network and read a desired file according to retrieval request from a user are know in the art. To archive means to store a plurality of files collectively and perform uniform management of the files stored.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a conventional archive system. This archive system includes servers 101 to 10n that store various files like image files, text files, and video files. The servers 101 to 10n are connected to a local area network (LAN) 20.
An archive device 301 is connected to the LAN 20. The archive device 301 has a function of storing archive files in a database after acquiring files corresponding to policies according to predetermined policies from the servers 101 to 10n as archive files.
Moreover, the archive device 301 has a function of retrieving desired files from the archive files based on a file retrieval request from any one of the servers 101 to 10n (or a not shown client) and returning a result of the retrieval.
Since archive files accumulate in the archive device 301 on daily basis, on one day the archive device 301 becomes full and there occurs lack of capacity. When the archive device 301 becomes full, archive device 302 is added to the LAN 20. Similarly, when the archive device 302 becomes full, archive device 303 is added to the LAN 20.
When the archive devices 302 and 303 are to be added to the LAN 20, an administrator sets information (like network address, device space) of the archive devices 302 and 303 in the servers 101 to 10n separately.
Thus, the servers 101 to 10n recognize the three archive devices 301, 302, and 303 independently as devices where the files are to be archived.
After the archive devices are added, the servers 101 to 10n acquire storage information of archive files (like file name, storage area) from the archive devices 301, 302, and 302 respectively and performs management.
For example, the server 101 sends a file retrieval request to an archive device (for example archive device 302) after recognizing the archive device 302 that stores the file from the stored information before sending a file-retrieval request. Conventional technologies are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication Nos. H7-191811 and 2000-99384.
However, when a new archive device is added, it is necessary to set information to identify the new archive device separately in the servers. This results in increased load on the administrator.
Moreover, the archive devices connected to the LAN are independent and have no link with each other. Therefore, if access occurs continuously to only a specific archive device, considerable load is exerted on that archive device. As a result, there is a decline in the efficiency.